Phill William Whitaker

Mr. Phill William Whitaker, 77, of Mount Airy, passed away Wednesday afternoon, February 5, 2020, at his home.  Mr. Whitaker was born March 4, 1942, in Surry County, to the late Ellis Jackson and Lillie Frances Wolfe Whitaker.  Phill graduated from Copeland High School and attended Surry Community College.  He proudly served our country in the United States Army for two years and retired from the Surry County Inspections Department, where he served as the county’s first building inspector.  He was a member of Mount Carmel Baptist Church, where he served as deacon, Sunday school teacher, and Sunday school superintendent for many years.  His great love was visiting shut-ins on a weekly basis.  Phill loved his family and enjoyed time spent with them going to baseball and softball games, camping, and making homemade ice cream.  He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Phyllis Chappell Whitaker; a daughter and son-in-law, Vickie W. and Demus Jordan; a son and daughter-in-law, Chad E. and Amy C. Whitaker; four grandchildren, Hayley Diana Whitaker, Cameron Elliott Whitaker, Jessie Morgan Jordan, and Emory Brooke Jordan; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Mary Ruth Mickey and Payge and Ralph Hardy; and two brothers and four sisters-in-law, Don and Shelba Whitaker, Lanny and Kathy Whitaker, Katherine Whitaker, and Jeanette Brown Chappell Belton.  In addition to his parents, Mr. Whitaker was preceded in death by a brother, Bruce Whitaker; a sister-in-law, Linda Brinkley Whitaker; and two brothers-in-law, Ray O. Mickey and Otis Chappell, Jr.  The funeral service will be held Saturday, February 8, 2020, at 11:00 AM at Moody Funeral Home Chapel in Mount Airy, with the Rev. Larry McCoy officiating.  Burial will follow in the Mount Carmel Baptist Church Cemetery, with military honors conducted by the VFW Memorial Honor Guard.  The family will receive friends Saturday from 9:30 until 11:00 AM at the funeral home.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Mount Carmel Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 123 Mount Carmel Church Road, Mount Airy, NC  27030; or the Alzheimer’s Association, Team Phill, 4615 Dundas Drive, Suite 103, Greensboro, NC  27407.